I’m beginning again. Standing on the edge with trepidation, preparing to dip my toes into the water. I’m making marks on a blank page, where thoughts begin to unravel in a way of their choosing, loose like string. Maybe a few pearls can be strung together, or maybe I’ll just peg out a word or two.

My hope is to knit them together well, though a white expanse of nothingness still has power to daunt and stall, rather than excite and propel words forward as I want it to. A longish gap since I’ve been regularly writing here has left me feeling a bit nervous as I hover at the thresh-hold, hoping the welcome will be warm.

Because I spent last month being busy over at ‘Poetry Joy’ , where I wrote a series about journeying into joy. It was initially meant to be housed here but technology’s frustrating hitches and glitches got the better of me, and I had to vacate this space for a while.

So I’m settling in slowly, finding my feet again, while aiming to defeat the dragon of discouragement which snaps at the heels of every writer, looking for an opportunity to distract and derail them.

Here’s the thing: for a writer, too much introspection kills inspiration. We need to be receptive, relaxed and ready, not stressed and stalled by over-thinking.

A free-flow style of writing occurs as we let loose and see where our pen/notebook/PC lead us, maybe as we journal or write ‘morning pages’.

Seeing becomes hazy when the light of revelation is halted. I am feeling my way through a fog of forgetfulness, knowing as I faithfully continue that memory and words will be sparked again. Hesitancy or perceived need for perfection stutters our words like a shutter descending.

We will remember to be free with phraseology once the inner critic has been silenced. It’s enough for now, in times of less fluidity, to simply show up, be faithful to the art of being present to our art and to our readers.

God has never failed me, and He won’t let you down either. What we see as writers’ block is more often a signal to rest than a call to desist. We don’t lose the gift, though it may feel like it when we’re too tired to think straight or write much.

Words may scurry around like impatient ants losing their way. But it’s okay, we can still give them ground, because soon there will be real work for them to do. A new beginning is never as scary as it seems. It suggests a fresh start, and that’s a beautiful grace gift from God.

beginning-fresh-start-woj

Let’s aim to view a new season as an unexplored adventure of faith, an opening for fresh inspiration to arrive, a gift just waiting to be unwrapped. Some ideas are beginning to form, though I’m not completely sure what my focus will be over the coming weeks and months.

But I am sure God is continually leading, guiding, inspiring and shaping our lives and our creative process as we surrender everything to Him.

Thank you so much for being here, for your beautiful, faithful presence. I’ve missed you! And even if I have written mostly about writing and creativity today, my goal remains the same: to encourage you on your journey of life and faith.

I’d love to know how you feel about new beginnings. Feel free to share in the comments below. Thank you. 🙂